i wish i had a bunch of amazing photos to post, but i don't. yesterday, i met up with 2 of the guys who shared the cost of the freight container from los angeles, california (there are a total of 5 motos and one SUV - we all hooked up through ADVrider). these good fellows are buddies and both recently retired. also first-timers in ameríca del sur. they are headed north to catch the last few legs of the dakar rally before it finishes here in santiago. sounds tempting, especially now that i unfortunately hear our bikes won't likely clear chilean customs until january 17… hmmmm… dakar?

today, i just wandered around on foot all day. so much for a "ride report" - this is a foot report. my plan was to go to the top of the cerro san cristobal, a big hill downtown, to get some shots of the city. the front desk guy at my building said it would be very busy, and the smog would kill the view. anyway, this set off the "tourists alert" region of my hippocampus, which i believe has been medically identified recently. so, instead, here is a lovely picture of the city from google (in the winter, i assume). maybe i'll break down and get my own shot eventually, but i don't want to keep anyone waiting due to my laziness or phobias.

so instead, i met up with a fellow ADVrider, crested butte-rtw, after he informed me he was in town and graciously agreed to meet up for… you guessed it… more beers. here's his blogspot page and his website: www.wheresfletch.com. great guy and an inspiring traveler.

fletch has been riding for over a year, all the way down the americas from colorado. he likes to linger in places and rest his buns like i do, so we are going to sit down with my maps before i head to the coast so that he can lay some good road/places tips on me. we felt like long lost brothers with our baldness. too bad i shaved my beard last week before i left. i was worried about it getting all gummed up with pisco sours, the continentally favored adult beverage.

we met up in the bellavista neighborhood, which is known as the bohemian/tourist hang out. it was fine and pretty relaxed on a monday afternoon.

after fletch and i split, i walked east of providencia to check out the the gran torre santiago (great santiago tower) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._South_America
which is now the tallest building in latin america. it's the same building you can see from my building's pool deck. it is huge. 984 ft, 64 stories.

i went out for dinner like the locals do, at 10pm. i found a nice little courtyard full of people. and found a spot in the corner. the sushi place was good, though i don't recall the name. had a couple of labored conversations with some people in spanish to get some tips for my remaining days. going out alone is an exercise in confidence building. not a lot of 6' 4" bald dudes wandering around santiago, so it's pretty clear who's a gringo and who's not. people stare, which i am getting used to. once i get a bit more comfortable, and my spanish legs under me, i should be able to turn that into an asset.